Device Method and System For Teleconferencing

Abstract

Disclosed is a device, system and method for teleconferencing. According to some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a teleconferencing system including a communication module adapted to transmit a digital data stream including data correlated to (e.g. representative of) a sound signal received by one or more microphones from a given sound source along with a relative direction vector or a relative direction vector indicator associated with the given sound source.

1 . A teleconferencing system comprising:
 a communication module adapted to receive packets containing a first digital data stream representing sound substantially acquired from a first sound source, the packets also including a first indicator correlated with a relative direction vector associated with the first sound source; and   a synthetic rendering module.   
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least two audio speakers. 
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 2 , further comprising an audio output stage including at least one digital-to-analog (“D/A”) converter adapted to convert the first digital data stream representing sound acquired from the first sound source into a first analog signal. 
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein said audio output stage further comprises a digitally configurable amplifier/switch array adapted to adjust analog signal flow between said at least one D/A and said at least two speakers. 
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 3 , further comprising control logic adapted to configure said audio output stage based on the first indicator associated with the first sound source and based on an entry in a rendering table. 
   
   
       6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein said communication module is adapted to receive packets including a second digital data stream representing sound acquired from a second sound source and including a second indicator associated with the second sound source. 
   
   
       7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein substantially each entry in said rendering table includes an audio rendering configuration and said control logic is adapted to associate different data streams with different audio rendering configuration by associating indicators of different data streams with different rendering table entries. 
   
   
       8 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein said control logic is adapted to associated two or more data streams to one or more rendering entries at least partially based on speak separation parameters. 
   
   
       9 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein said control logic is adapted to associated two or more data streams from sound sources having distant voice signatures to a common rendering table entry. 
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said control logic is adapted to configure said audio output stage either adjust digital data stream flow or to adjust analog signal flow associated with different digital data streams differently. 
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said control logic is adapted to associate a given indicator with a dominant audio rendering configuration based on a priority value associated with the indicator. 
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said control logic is adapted to re-associate a given indicator with another audio rendering configuration in the event the priority value of the indicator changes. 
   
   
       13 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said control logic is adapted to associate a given indicator with a dominant audio rendering entry based on an average data rate of the data stream with which the indicator is associated. 
   
   
       14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein said control logic is adapted to disassociate a given indicator from an audio rendering entry in the event the average data rate of the data stream with which the indicator is associated drops below a threshold value. 
   
   
       15 . A teleconferencing system comprising:
 a communication module adapted to receive packets containing two or more digital data streams, wherein each of said two or more data stream is associated with sound acquired from at least one sound source; and a synthetic rendering module adapted to render each of said two or more data streams using a different rendering configuration.